Bhuna Chicken

About

Like any Indian-style chicken dish, Paleo Bhuna Chicken is full-on flavor with warm spice and lots of heat. Fried garlic, onion, ginger, and diced green chili browned in ghee give a backbone of flavor as well as all the beautiful Indian spices like turmeric, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and garam masala.

Is Indian food Keto?

Yes, many Indian dishes are Keto because they are high in protein and fats like butter. This dish is no exception.

What can I serve with Paleo Bhuna Chicken?

You can serve this dish with a side of fresh cucumbers and salt and cauliflower rice. Another option is to serve it with a dark green vegetable like sauteed baby spinach, green beans, or kale.

Why are the spices added in with the onions?

Indian-style cooking involves layering flavors, which starts with ghee in a hot pan, then garlic and ginger are sauteed with onions and spices, so the spices become toasted before adding any liquid. Cooking, in this manner makes a massive impact on the flavor and complexity of the dish.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon ghee
1 tablespoon, chopped garlic
1 large – approx 4" – 6" long jalapeno peppers
2 tablespoon, sliced ginger
1 cup onion
¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt by morton
1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin, ground
2 teaspoon coriander, seed
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 large – 3" diameter tomato
¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt by morton
1 pound chicken broilers or fryers thigh meat only raw
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt by morton
½ medium – 2 1/8" diameter lemon
4 tablespoon cilantro

Instructions

Heat a nonstick saute pan, over medium-high heat until hot. Add ghee and tilt to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the garlic, ginger, and diced jalapenos. Stir them well and cook until fragrant.
Add the diced onions. Turn the heat down to medium and continue cooking this way until the onions are softened and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add kosher salt.
Once the onions have turned golden brown, add the spices. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and the spices to toast.
Add the chopped tomatoes along with about 6 tbsp of water and another ¼ tsp kosher salt.
Allow it to cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to make sure that this mixture becomes thick and almost dry.
At this point, add the diced chicken and stir them well to coat them.
Cook over medium heat and stir occasionally until the chicken is completely cooked for about 15-20 minutes. Add ½ tsp of salt to season the chicken.
Serve with cauliflower rice and a good squeeze of lemon on top for acidity and chopped cilantro.